Serge the Concierge

Paris, Not just Bar Tabac, Literary Cafes as well!

Paris has been known as the refuge for real and wannabe artists over time, be it jazz musicians, poets, painters, writers and others.
Isobel Scott covers some New Cafés Littéraires for Globespotters.
Amongst them Tea and Tattered Pages "with its second hand English books from floor to ceiling. At the back of the shop, behind beaded curtains, there is a little tea salon".
Another highlight is La Belle Hortense where "the accent is on wine. The zinc bar is the first stop when you walk into the baby-blue painted store. Pick a glass (or bottle) from the wine list and wander off to the bookshelves in the back room. Their selection includes design-your-own-cover (Penguin editions) English and French classics and modern prizewinners".
A more extended guide on Literary Watering Holes in Paris was offered by Gridskipper (February 2008).

Where are the best literary cafes in your corner of the world?

Learn Japanese Tips and Tricks at the 'Urawaza' Book Party (San Francisco, July 13)

After reading The Maker of Balloons (Water Balloons that is) on PingMag, I wanted to learn more about this Japanese Summer tradition.

By some twist of fate, I landed instead on Tokyo Mango, one of the voices of Lisa Katayama.

She recently published Urawaza (Chronicle Books) where she shares some everyday Japanese tips and tricks such as "Can't find someone to water your plants while you're away? Place the plant on a water-soaked diaper, so it slowly absorbs water over time."

She continues a popular Japanese trend that expresses itself on popular TV Shows and numerous books.

If you are in San Francisco on Sunday, July 13, Lisa has a book signing party where she will demo some of her secrets. It takes place from 1to 3pm at Double Punch a store offering Japanese Toys, Art Books and more in the North Beach district, close to the Bay.

All the way back in May, Try Than offered her own Kitchen Secrets on Bay Area Bites. Let me quote a couple:

"After soaking dried tamarind in water, use the strained fruit and fibers to polish your copper pans and bowls.

Use the edge of a small spoon to peel the crooks and crannies of knobby ginger."

Are you hooked on the Urawaza trend?

Want to share your own kitchen and home tricks?

A side trip in the Bay Area for Tokyo Thursdays #46

Last Week: Slew of reviews on 'Japan Cuts' (New York), Could not make it to Opening Night!

Are you 'Distracted', Out of Focus? Maggie Jackson raises the red flag on Multi Tasking

Maggie Jackson describes our current world as an ADD (Attention Deficit Society) in her book Distracted subtitled The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age.

She worries as The Brian Lehrer Show put it that "today’s tendency to multi-tasking has us headed for a new Dark Ages, as human beings lose their ability to pay close attention".

The last part of the title might be too much gloom and doom, nevertheless she has a point. It seems that many of us confuse getting attention and making noise.

Can we ceaselessly twitter, comment on blogs, social networks and still have time for rest and reflection?

Should we sit at our computer eating junk food while catching up with the latest cooking trends?

The middle aged man that I am cannot help being concerned and sometimes irritated by mostly younger people constantly checking their instant messages and somehow unable to turn off their 'smart' phones.

How much connection is too much?

I suggested to a friend recently that in the not so distant future there might be a place for a trading scheme similar to carbon trading for pollution where those of us who are connected yet sensible could swap connection time for money with the addicted crowd.

What are your thoughts on the topic?

Check the Monsters & Critics Review.

Maggie Jackson also writes the Balancing Acts column for the Boston Globe.

Related: Twitter...Blackberries and the Age of Constant Interruption

Cold Yogurt Soup, Philosophy and Food: Ottolenghi the Cookbook

What turned my attention to Yotam Ottolenghi at first was his Cold Yogurt Soup recipe for The Guardian.
A perfect eat on a hot summer day.

In Cooking the Books, Nigel Slater sings his praise, confessing that "Ottolenghi has been part of my life for some years now. I find it difficult to pass its doors without at least a peep at its Mediterranean delights. There is no more vibrant food store in London. Leaving there without a box of passion fruit tartlets or a slice or two of plum cake with my 'good boy' broccoli salad requires more willpower than I currently possess. The fact that the proprietors Yotam Ottolenghi and his friend Sami Tamimi have been generous to put their recipes in a book is something I had long dreamed of".

Which led me to Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, no less than 140 recipes from "meat and fish main courses, through to many healthy and quick salads and suppers, plus cakes and breads".
Their love of food is rooted in their childhood in Jerusalem.
Over the years they were influenced by other middle eastern cuisines and many other strands.

If you are in London on July 24th, they will have a Book Launch Party at cheese shop La Fromagerie.
Get all the details on the event as well as a reservation link in Celebrating the Cookbook with La Fromagerie on the Ottolenghi Blog.
Lychee Martinis & Saffron Scented Prosecco will be served.

The book was published May 1st in the UK.
I am not sure where it might be available otherwise.

On UK Restaurants and Cookbooks: Size is not everything, Gospel of Cooking according to Jason Atherton at 'Maze'

Edible Estates turns Front Lawns into Food for Thought

That perfect manicured lawn in front of many homes requires a lot of work, pesticides and water.
This home green is one of the thirstiest things besides corn.
A fellow named Fritz Haeg turns front yards into Edible Estates .
He came to my attention thank to Turf Wars (by Simon Busch, FT Week End).
It starts with a humorous quote from Stan Cox, one of the participants in the project:

"Say, your yard’s looking mighty fine lately, Jim,” Stan Cox imagines commenting to a neighbour. “Everything OK with your wife?” The amount of energy devoted to lawn care in the US, he believes, is frequently in inverse proportion to the amount devoted to the bedroom."

The article also mentions Michael Pollan from his book In Defense of Food as saying that "lawns have “as much to do with gardening as floor waxing or road-paving. Gardening [is] a subtle process of give and take with the landscape.” Lawns, he says, are “nature under culture’s boot”. When Pollan mowed his own he “ruled a totalitarian landscape”. “Lawns,” he concludes, “are a form of television.”

A book Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn (Metropolis Books, cover is my illustration) documents the project which is not merely planting fruits and vegetables in front of your house but arranging the plots in a way that both makes sense and is visually appealing.

In Turning lawns into salad bars, Andrea F. Spiegel (Baltimore Sun) showcases one of the participants, Clarence Ridgley "whose red brick and clapboard home is now behind fruit trees, tomato cages, berry bushes and vegetables".

Makes you stand out from the crowd and in these days of high food prices might help your budget, good for the Consumed to Thrifty.

Outdoors for Green Day #32

Related: Basa, Dab or Vietnamese Clams, Sustainable Fish from A to Z

Basa, Dab or Vietnamese Clams, Sustainable Fish from A to Z

Do the right thing is the mental message we get when buying fish and shellfish at our local store or ordering it in a restaurant.

Instead of giving us a lengthy expose Sophie Morris offers us an A to Z list of seafood that is healthy and not at risk of extinction in Where's the Catch? (The Independent UK, June 14).
Each choice is followed by a short, clear description and its country of origin.

I did not know of Basa , a Vietnamese catfish which she describes as "light, flaky white fish native to the Mekong river delta and available all year round".
I tasted Dab (which I knew as 'Limande' in France). It is "the smallest of the flatfish and cheaper than halibut or turbot. Avoid during the April to June breeding season".
Gurnard (also known as sea-robin) sounds intriguing and "Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall suggests pot-roasting with leeks, celeriac and a slosh of white wine".
It seems it could be used in bouillabaisse as well.

Some of them might not be found in your corner of the world but in any case this is a place to start.

Along the same line, Ratha Tep (Food and Wine) attended a Sustainable Fish Think Tank on June 6 where chef Rick Moonen highlighted some lessons learned in fish buying and recipes from his cookbook Fish Without a Doubt such as Grilled Dorade with Hoisin Glaze which he shared with NPR.

I hope this helps on your next 'fishing' expedition.

Related: Staying Alive...Eat a Guilt Free Fish

Make your voice heard...We Think and Mass Creativity

The other night as I was driving home I had the chance to catch Peter Day's Interview of Charles Leadbeater (Global Business, BBC World)...

His new book, We Think explores 'the power of mass creativity', its benefits and shortcomings.
He does not want it to be confused with the mass production model of the industrial era.
On the positive side, he notes that "ideas take life when they are shared. That is why the web is such a potent platform for creativity and innovation", on the other hand "it leaves us more open to abuse and invasions of privacy" and "participation is not always a good thing: it can just create a cacophony".

Want to get a taste of the book, the first 3 Chapters are available for free in PDF form on the We Think Site.
It was shaped with the help of over 200 people via a Wiki page..

Food for thought on Monday Work Etiquette #42

Related: Power to the People, Electric Cars Now! from Finland

Add an Ace or an Edge: Japanese Phrasebook Free Audio Downloads

While looking for details on the Rough Guide to Tokyo (my illustration), I noticed a companion title, The Japanese Phrasebook.

As interesting or maybe more useful than the book itself for your survival kit are the Free Audio Downloads which will train your ears on issues such as Accommodation, Banks, Emergencies and much more.
You might not get lost in translation after all.

A good pick for the Consumed to Thrifty

If you cannot make it to Japan, you will at least have learned a few new tricks.

It will open your mind to different sounds and add a little shine to your armor.

Useful tips and tricks for Tokyo Thursdays #42

Related: Map your Tokyo Stay thanks to 'Tokyo Metro' Multilingual Site

Will downturn bring an Appetite for Virtual/ Fictional Restaurants?

They say that reality can be stranger than fiction.
I have been wondering if in the current economic downturn, we will see virtual or even fictional restaurants sprout online.

Another way for the Consumed to Thrifty to share experiences without going broke.

Fictional restaurants would have the best economic promise since you would need no staff, no liquor license, no space or any of the other costly ingredients it takes to run a physical location.
You could list any price and the most exotic fare on your menu without worrying about inflation, fuel delivery charges, carbon footprint and all these annoying details that can turn a profit into a loss.

It could also be more innovative than the re-creation festival currently in full swing on the blogosphere as highlighted by Lee Gomes in Latest Web Bloggers Give CookingThe Books a Whole New Meaning (Wall Street Journal, May 28).

Amongst those cited in the piece are French Laundry at Home by Carole Blymire (let me give her credit for tackling the subject of Pig Head) and The Gourmet Project by Teena Gerhardt.

Personally, I find the strict re-creation of a cookbook recipe kinda boring, I always like to add a little improvisation here and there, does not always work out but is more fun.

Related: Saucisson and the Happy Pig...An acquired taste for the French

A momentary lapse of reason "LUXE City Travel Guides'

Sorry for straying from my accent recently on value rather than pricey items.

Not quite extravagant yet elegant Luxe City Guides put their money where their mouth is!

I could not agree more with their introduction (I quote):

• Bored of out of date recommendations for second-rate   dumps?
• Tired of trying to select the best option from a huge list of   mediocrity?
• Fed up with guides written by people who don't live in the city they are writing about,   and edited by others who have never even been to the country let alone the city you’re   visiting?

All in all 28 Cities and Countries from Ho Chi Minh City to Dubai to a Cambodia/ Laos combo not to forget Sydney, Istanbul and Madrid to name a few, each covered by a local editor.

And they are beautiful objects.

Bespoke editions are available if you wish

Found out about Luxe thanks to Eat (Independent Blog)